Conflictions
by innocent-rebel
Summary: Love is never easy, especially when duty and desire conflict. NejiTen ShinoTen oneshot.


Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

A/N: I wasn't quite sure how to label this story pairing wise because there is both NejiTen and ShinoTen in it, but it's not quite that cut and dry. Honestly I never thought I'd write something like this for more reasons than one, but I do hope you enjoy it, and please let me know what you thought.

X

This was so wrong.

Tenten gasped as she felt his hands run alongside her skin underneath her shirt as they stumbled into the room. Their clothes sticking in random places to their already sweat coated bodies from the mission they'd just finished. No one would ever suspect them to be doing something like this on their way back either. Especially not in some little inn inside a town that was barely a dot on the map. Mostly though, Tenten knew that no one would suspect this because of who she was with.

And a part of her hated them for that. For one reason or another no one would suspect that this man was the one she was with. That she had chosen him over others, and his own situation would call for more chastity. Of course even married, men were given more leniency in this type of situation.

"You are sure…" his breath was hot on her neck as he closed the door. They hadn't been able to wait until they were fully in the room before the kisses started. Then the hands. Then their bodies reacting.

Tenten nodded.

"If you are…" he wouldn't loose his status if anyone found out, but he would loose face all the same. Shame his clan. She didn't even have a name he could say tempted him away.

Behind dark plastic though, Tenten could read Shino's expression. He didn't care. Right now neither of them did. They just wanted each other. But it was more than simple lust. Even as she felt him push her to the bed and fell onto it, her head smacking the backboard and Shino pulling back slightly. Tenten laughed, pulling him closer.

"It's fine."

He nodded, but stumbled as he tried to continue, and nearly fell right on top of her. Well that was where he was going to wind up anyway. Still it was a bit awkward. But neither minded. Tenten slipped her hands under his jacket, pushing at it to take it off, and Shino helped, pulling it open, and sliding it off his shoulders. Tenten was then focused on his shirt. Of course getting that off proved a harder challenge as they both fumbled and it wound up over his head, completely masking him for a moment.

"This is why you should wear looser clothing." Tenten laughed as they finally got it off, and soon his fingers were focused on her. But he was taking his time as well. Feeling the curves of her skin, his callused touch against her hot flesh, and there was a slight hesitancy that made her stomach twist. She knew he wasn't hesitating because of her though, or even because of what they were doing. Shino was waiting for her to push him away.

He was always waiting for everyone to push him away.

Maybe that was how this started. This sin they were both committing. Because everyone pushed him away, and she was being held to tightly.

"_No!" Tenten finally snapped as she glared Neji, her fists clenching as they came down hard on the table, rattling the tea cups and spilling the liquid onto the polished wood. "I don't think you understand, Neji! When I say no, I mean no! I am not, I repeat, not, having children!"_

_Neji continued to watch her through cool eyes, then took a deep breath and she saw a softness come over them. It was the kind of look he used to wear. One before they were engaged, and when she thought they understood each other. Now that look was so rare it almost physically hurt._

"_I know you don't want children, Tenten. I understand that. But you don't seem to understand the fact that I have to have at least one child…"_

"_Why?" Tenten demanded. "It's not like you're the heir. I know you want to change things, but with how that's going, more than likely if we had children, they'd wind up sealed."_

_White eyes flickered, but Tenten kept still. She wasn't backing down. Not on this. It was her body, and it was her career. She had seen what happened to women after they had children. No matter what their status was before, especially if they were connected with a clan, they were expected to stay behind. To be good little wives, and whatever else the Hyuga clan was, they were staunch traditionalists. It was one reason it was so hard to have the sealing even addressed. No one wanted to change._

"_You know I will never allow our children to be sealed. Even if I have to die myself…"_

"_But why do you have to die? Why do I have to…"_

"_We are the protectors. The Cadet branch has always protected the Main Branch and until the seal and branches are dissolved completely, we will at least have to continue to do that. You knew all this when I asked you to marry me." he reached for her hand, and Tenten found herself taking it, but it held no warmth. Whether the coldness lay in his grip or hers, she couldn't say._

"_I knew you were expected to protect them! I didn't know I would have to give my life to that though. And you know that's what they'll expect. The minute we have a kid, they'll start watching us both. You especially! Everyone thinks you're going to be the one who overthrows the Main branch. They're looking at you to either be a martyr or a hero!" neither of which she'd ever had much time for._

_Her former teammate sighed as he stood up, keeping her hand firmly in his, and coming closer till her head was on his shoulder._

"_Tenten…I don't want you to have to give up your dreams…but this isn't just about me, or you. This is about everyone. It's why my father had me. We are expected to produce guardians for the next generation."_

_She pulled away._

"_I have an idea. We're ninja. So lets just toughen up everyone in the Main branch so they can fight for themselves." her voice was curt, and she was pulling away before he could stop her._

Shino pulled her closer, and Tenten felt herself melting into his touch, her hands running through his hair, and pushing back his glasses for him before they fell off. It wasn't that she had never seen him without his glasses, or that he was shy about taking them off around her anymore. But she didn't feel like having them fall on her head, or have the end poke her in the eye.

Their breath was coming in harsh, hot gasps, as they twisted and turned, and Tenten leaned up, lightly nipping at Shino's ear. He jerked slightly at the sudden sting, then leaned down, his mouth hot on her neck as he caressed her skin with his lips. Even his tongue and teeth were involved. Her back arched as pleasure mixed with pain coursed through her body.

"….let me know…if I…" Shino started, but before he could finish, Tenten planted her hands squarely on his shoulder, pushed up, then flipped around so their legs were tangled in the sheets, but she was more or less on top of him.

"Let me know…if I'm to much for you." her grin was wicked, and their fingers interlocked. Her now loose brown hair hung down, lightly brushing over Shino's neck and face. He shook his head as some got in his mouth and Tenten grinned a bit sheepishly. "Sorry…"

She was cut off as Shino claimed her mouth with his own, his tongue gliding across hers, before pulling back, half laying half hovering over the bed, revealing incredible upper body strength. And he wasn't lacking in lower body strength either.

"Never apologize. Not here. Not with this." he said seriously, and Tenten nodded, a smile crossing her face, as she undid one of their hands, and traced her thumb across his cheek. A simple, gentle motion, wiping some sweat away.

"Fine. Then promise you'll never hesitate with me in this." there was meaning in both their requests. Shino was asking her to never apologize, because for her to regret him would be more than he could bare. And he was also asking her to never regret what she needed either. To never feel as if she were less because of what they were.

Her request mirrored his. She was asking him to never hesitate because he believed himself untouchable, and place her in the same category as those who refused to even look at him because of what was inside. She hated those people. Konoha claimed it never judged and was open to anyone, and yet that was a lie. For their abilities, and what they did to protect the village, the Aburame clan was often pushed aside and to the shadows. Shino himself had endured so much of this growing up, and even now in his own marriage.

"_Am I a terrible person?" Tenten asked as she slumped down next to Shino. Her head in one hand while her other twirled a kunai. It was a nervous habit the now twenty two year old had picked up long ago. _

"_Yes. Because refusing to blindly follow the wishes of everyone else around you, automatically makes you a horrible person. I'm surprised you didn't know that."_

_Tenten glared at him. Another habit of hers was whenever she was upset, unlike most girls who confided in others, she confided in her sparring partner. That used to be Neji, and at times Lee. But over the years, things had changed. They were still a team. Still family in a way, and she would always love them on that level no matter what, but it was different now. Lee was more or less always gone on missions, Neji had been pulled further into the world of clan politics. But there was someone else._

_How they originally started as sparring partners began as an accident. Shino was collecting beetles for an experiment and in one of her own with a weapons scroll, Tenten had nearly impaled him. Instead, she simply shattered his collection jar, and most of the beetles scattered._

_She remembered the look he'd given her as if he suspected she'd planned that, and then the utter shock on his face when she actually apologized, and offered to help recollect them. From there, they became friends, then sparring partners, deciding to see how their techniques would match against each other._

_Not that they didn't have their own missions and Shino was often pulled into his own clan's world, but they still found time together. And slowly, it had developed into more. A slow, often times awkward first romance. They had shared their first kiss while helping Kurenai prepare a room for her coming baby and were caught in the act. Fortunately, Lee probably believed them when they said Shino was simply whispering a secret directly to her mouth. _

_However, like with everything else, things changed._

_Now they were back to just sparring partners. Shino's clan, Tenten's lack of even a name, and an arranged marriage forced them further away. Shino had once innocently asked what might happen if the arrangement was broken considering he was three when it was made and Tenten had never seen Shibi look so stern as he had then. Or regard her so coolly. Apparently it wasn't an option._

"_You know what I mean, Shino. I agreed to marry, Neji knowing what was expected, but I never thought it'd be expected of me. I mean…look at me! Do I look like a motherly type to you?" she made a face, and Shino smirked._

"_Unless you intend to frighten your child with that look, then no. But it's not as if this decision can't wait. Why? Because you are not even married yet. You have no obligation. If you wished, you could even still leave…" there was something in his voice, but it drifted away as soon as it came. It felt of old passion though, along with longing for something else._

_It had hurt when they found out there wasn't even a chance they could be together. But at the same time, they knew the village had to come before what they wanted. Shino was expected to uphold his clan's promise, and Tenten was expected to be a good soldier. Besides, sending wives of clan heirs to target's beds hardly sat well with anyone. They had avoided each other for awhile after that, but found it was harder to simply stop interacting than just stay friends._

"_Try explaining that to the Hyuga elders." she muttered. "Besides, I don't want to leave, Neji. Not really…I…" her voice grew thick and she swallowed hard._

_Shino looked over at her, his hidden eyes penetrating past her defenses, and she shot him a glare. _

"_I just thought I was marrying someone else." she finally said. "I thought…he had gotten over his clan controlling him. Or that Naruto would actually change things…oh dear Hokage, listen to me! I've obviously lost my mind, I was counting on Naruto be responsible!" she tried to joke, but even with her it fell flat. She wasn't sure when she had started allowing herself to fall in love with Neji. She didn't want to believe that she had done it simply to forget Shino. That was the stupidest reason to ever be with someone else, if only to replace another. But she'd also heard that one of the best ways to heal a broken heart was to let someone else mend it. Part of her knew she'd been hoping Neji would be that person. He was for awhile too. _

_His clan had long claws though, and they sunk into him deep. Threats. Backroom deals. They might have even threatened her in order to get him to comply at times. She was pushing to. For him to break away from all of that, but Neji was constantly being pulled back. Sometimes she wondered if he was really so much trapped in a cage, or just conditioned to stay even with the lock picked and door opened._

"_Tenten, there is no need for you to be this miserable. All you have to do is walk away. Sometimes, it is that simple." Shino said, his hand resting on her shoulder, and giving it a slight squeeze. She stopped twirling her knife, throwing it down into the ground, all without moving enough to push Shino's hand away. One thing she had found over the years was that Shino was not used to people being so comfortable with his touch, or touching him of their own accord. Shoved aside. Pushed away. He grew up with that, and expected it always. Though not with her. She'd never been afraid of him for what was under his skin. Beyond that though he had an imposing figure, now standing squarely with his father in height, and he towered over her by a good foot. She only grinned up at him and would poke him in the stomach or kick him in the shins of he made too much out of it. Childish actions for a deeper connection._

"_Maybe not, but even if an action is simple, the backlash isn't." and she would get a great deal from everyone. Even her own team would be confused and she didn't want to hurt Neji. That was the last thing she wanted but she also wanted her own life more than anything. More than being a wife, more than being with someone, she wanted to know who she was and not be pulled back. She still wanted to be like Lady Tsunade was. No. Better._

"_Tenten…"_

"_I wish Neji would call it off. If I could get him to then maybe they'd let me go. I don't even have anything to bring into the marriage!" she suddenly fumed. "If he would just get over his pride and realize that maybe this was a stupid idea to begin with…or that I'm not cut out to have children or…or…doesn't it matter what I want at all? I thought marriage was supposed to be that! Push, pull, give, take! But nooo, apparently, now the clan is involved in it to, and while we're at, why not involve the village elders in voting about it!" _

_She was up. Her arms moving wildly, several kunai twirling in each hand as if looking for an enemy and the more she yelled, the higher her voice rose and the more something hot pricked her eyes. She was not crying. That was just sweat. It was summer after all, and they had just spent three hours training. Those were not tears…_

_Then she felt something wrap around her. Strong arms. Her face buried in Shino's chest, his black shirt darkening in certain spots as water traced her cheeks. The weapons fell from her hands and suddenly she was holding onto him, unable to let go._

"_This is not about simply having children. Why? Because you would have faced the same decision had…had our own earlier emotions been pursued. Perhaps it would have been even worse."_

_Tenten pulled back, but not hard enough to break the embrace as she shook her head. She wanted to scream at him that it was about that. That it was about just having children and that she didn't want to stop being a ninja even for a short amount of time, and that she wanted…but it was about what she wanted. What she wanted and didn't want, and what she knew she wasn't ready for. Yes, it might have been worse if she had been allowed to stay with Shino, but at the same time she wondered if she would have to give up everything. If having a child then, would she be expected to simply stay home? Shino rarely spoke about his mother, but he mentioned she carried out several missions even after the marriage, one even while pregnant with him. Tenten would have loved to meet her. Another issue was control. Neji's clan wanted control of her. All of her. With Shino, at least control would be hers, and shared with him, just as control of him would be his own and shared with her. _

"_Whatever happens…please do not allow yourself to become miserable because of a promise. A life of misery is not worth upholding an agreement." he said, and Tenten looked up. She didn't have to see his eyes to know he knew exactly what he was talking about._

"_Things aren't going any better with her are they?" _

_Shino had been married for over a year now, but only at public events had Tenten seen him with his wife. She was very beautiful. Dainty, with long brown hair, slanted eyes, and very kind. But she was terrified of Shino. Of what was inside of him, and more than once, Tenten had seen her consciously put distance between her and the man she was supposed to love._

"_She is…unhappy, I believe. No. More than that. She is terrified of me, and at least…someone wants to be touched by you. She simply allows me to do so because we are expected to produce an heir." his voice was soft. Not angry, or even bitter. Just defeated. Tenten hated hearing that tone. "So I don't touch her. I will not force myself onto someone who cannot even stand to hold my hand. That would be…"_

"_Wrong?"_

"_It would be painful for us both." he settled on. _

"_She shouldn't be afraid. You're not scary. Sulky? Yes. Scary? No." _

_Shino's shoulders slumped._

"_I do not sulk."_

"_You're doing it right now!" her tears were drying, but her voice remained strained and thick for both of them. _

"_I am not. I am…simply thinking about what you said and the situation at hand." _

"_So sulking?"_

_His shoulders went down further, and Tenten held tighter._

"_I wouldn't be scared." she whispered. "I was never scared of you. Any part of you…"_

"_Then it is a pity you are not the one I could bring with me to the marriage bed." there was genuine regret in his voice, and on impulse, Tenten did something she hadn't done in years. She pushed herself up to her toes, and pushed her lips against his. Shino jerked back, and she fell away as well. _

"_I'm sorry. I didn't…that was stupid. I…"_

_Then Shino had his lips to hers again, pulling her up. _

"_Never apologize, or call yourself stupid. Why? Because there is no need for apologies, nor are you in the slightest stupid." _

That one moment had led to more. More than either of them ever thought possible and when they were both assigned a mission, they knew it was now or never. The line had to be crossed, or it would never be touched again.

Both of them arched, their bodies overflowing with passion till it was nearly unbearable as they reached the climax and the end. Neither expected this. This rush of emotion. These feelings, or how they would want more and yet knew it needed to end. Their bodies couldn't sustain this much longer.

With a cry, Tenten and Shino both collapsed back into the bed. Further away from each other, and disconnected but still close. For a moment, Tenten felt as if she couldn't breath and watched Shino's own chest as it rose and fell so hard she was worried he would hyperventilate. But their hands never came apart. And after a moment, catching their breath, they both turned to face each other, curling up closer together, satisfied now with simple touching.

"I…" Shino started to say, before Tenten put her fingers to his mouth. She knew what he was going to say. That he loved her. She loved him to. But there wasn't any need for words. Not after this. Not after this connection. Now words would be overdone and useless.

"I know." she agreed, laying her head on his arm while his hand ran through her hair. Part of her hated herself. Not for what she had done, but because she had betrayed someone in the process. And another part, the larger part, didn't care. Even as she saw the same self loathing on Shino's face, both of them saw it melt in the others as well. Because they both knew it was wrong.

It was so wrong.

And they didn't care. Because right now with each other they had found something they both craved even more than the physical. They had found belonging, and a connection they had given up once, and never would again.

Because as wrong as it was, neither of them cared anymore.

THE END

A/N: Just so everyone knows, I do not condone in anyway, extra marital affairs, and I never thought I would write a story involving one like this. However, I hope you guys enjoyed the story, and saw it as something more than simply that. Please let me know what you think, I love to hear from you guys.

Have a great day

Be Blessed

Your friend

innocent-rebel


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